Royal host
by belelle
Summary: Haruhi's a princess whom had to escape, she left her house behind, her father and her niichans. 10 years later she gets a sholarship for Ouran high school, where she'll be confronted with her past and where she'll be reunited with her niichans, the members of the host club. But telling them she is their childhood friend could bring them in danger since someone's targeting her.
1. Chapter 1

Clouds covered the night sky, cold rain dripped on my face. My feet were hurting and I was out of breath. But the soft, warm hand of my mother pulled me further.

"Mommy, I'm tired." I said with a sob.

"Try to be strong, sweetheart, we're almost there." I could hear tiredness in her voice.

"Mommy, I don't want to leave the palace, I don't want to leave daddy."

"I know, sweetie, but If we stay something really bad is going to happen to us." Mommy said.

My foot hit a rock and I fell on the cold ground, my Mommy stopped and pulled me up.

Between the sound or our heavy breathing and my racing heart I could hear the sound of running footsteps. Mommy looked in the direction of the footsteps, fear written on her face.

She picked me up and started to run with me in her arms.

"They're coming closer." She whispered with a fearful look in her eyes.

"Are they going to hurt us, Mommy?" I asked.

"Of course not, sweetheart. I won't let that happen, I'll protect you so everything is fine." She answered.

"Mommy doesn't need to protect me, I have my niichans already. Haruhi will protect Mommy." I said and hugged her. I looked over Mommy's shoulder and could see three men running after us, they were armed with guns.

Mom and I had an earlier start but they still were able to catch up on us. I looked at my mother's face, she started to lose speed. I knew I was slowing her down.

Suddenly a dark car slipped with too much speed around the corner into the street.

It stopped driving but the motor still mad monstrous sounds. Scared I pulled myself closer to my Mom. "Mommy?"

"It's all right, sweetie, that's Ryouji, I asked him to pick us up." She said.

She pulled the door open and putted me in the car. Suddenly there was the sound of glass breaking.

One of the men a had stopped and started to shoot. My mother quickly jumped into the car and Mommy's friend started to drive like crazy.

The once silent night was disturbed by shootings sounds. Mommy pushed me down and covered me with her body, she gasped in pain when they shot one of the windows and the glass rained onto her body. "Kotoko, are you all right?" Ryouji-san asked while glancing in the mirror.

"I'm fine." Mommy said and sat straight. "What about you, Haruhi?"

"I'm fine." I said in a whispering voice.

I sat on my knees while I looked out the back window. The men had stopped shooting and the night was silent again, expect for the sound of a faraway alarm and police sirens.

The contours of the castle lighted up with the light of seeking helicopters.

'Daddy must be worried.' I thought as I looked how the caste disappeared behind other buildings.

10 months later, they found us.

They broke the backdoor, at that moment only me and my mom were at home. Oto-san ( mommy wanted me to call Ryouji-san Oto-san) was away for work. Mom pushed me into a wardrobe and said I couldn't leave till Oto-san was home.

The bad people kicked the door open but Mommy didn't make a sound.

"Queen Kotoko, please surrender! You will be punished for betrayal against your husband, the king and the kingdom. Now where is the princess?!" It was a heavy voice of a man that asked my mother.

"Like I would tell you that." My mother answered.

It stayed silent for a while. "We will find her either way." The voice said.

The sound of two gunshots filled the room and I putted my hand for my mouth to stop a scream.

"Search the house and the neighborhood!" The man ordered and I could hear them leave.

I don't know exactly how many time pasted away but it felt like ages. I could hear many feet searching the house but they didn't look into my wardrobe.

There was also a lot of screaming, sometimes I heard the familiar male voice yell an instruction. But I didn't hear Mommy's voice, even when everything went silent, my mother didn't call me out.

By then it had started to thunder and I wanted mom, I wanted her soft touch as she whispered that It would be all right. I know she had told me to stay in the wardrobe till Oto-san was home but I wanted to hold her hand and hear her voice.

So I pushed the door open and the light of a lightening showed me a horror scene. Mom was lying on one side, her back towards me. "Mommy?" I asked.

With the next lightening I noticed the pool of blood my mother was lying in.

"Mommy?" I repeated sobbing, hesitantly I walked to her.

My bare feet got wet with dark red blood. "Mommy wake up!" I said with a sob.

I softly touched her shoulder and when she didn't react I pulled her shoulder. Her body fell on her back and showed a hole in her chest and her forehead. Both covered with blood and her eyes were wide open, staring at me. My scream was accompanied with the sound of thunder and a flash of lightening.

Now, ten years later, I'm terrified by thunderstorms and I'm going to do something insane. I, who detested the aristocrats and the rich for what they did to my mother, am going to attend Ouran High School, a school filled with rich bastards.

Why? They just happen to have the best education for me to achieve my dream, becoming a lawyer. I only have to make sure that no one finds out that I'm the princess were the whole world was looking for ten years ago.

Simple, don't you think?

* * *

Sorry if got a bit too lugubrious but I want to sketch how traumatic it was for little Haruhi, next chapters won't have murderscenes, I promise. I hope you liked the start and that you will read the next chapter of my storie ^_^


	2. Chapter 2

Again I closed a door and sighed.

It's called a study room so why don't they study in it? Those rich bastards only play around since they don't need good grades to be successful. For them is money alone enough to a get a good job.

There are so many rooms in this school so why can't a single one be quiet?

"Those people don't even understand the word silent." I complained while I climbed one of the many staircases and walked past a row of windows.

On the end of the corridor there was a door, "third music room" was written on the sign.

I unlocked the door and found six handsome guys in the middle of the room.

"Welcome!" they said synchronized.

"What? It's just a guy." One of the men said.

"How boring." Said another one, who looked exactly like the first boy.

_Twins?_

"Hikaru! Kaoru! We have to be nice to every customer." A blond guy said with the attitude of a king. "Even if the customer is gay."

_Customer? Gay?!_

"Eh… Excuse me, wrong room!" I said flustered and tried to escape.

"It's unexpected for the honor student to be gay." A black haired guy with glasses said.

"Ah, Haruhi Fujioka?!" The blond one said.

I turned to him. "How do you know my name?"

"Ah very simple! Because you are a hero!"

_A hero?_

"To be the only commoner among the many wealthy people, how brave! You're a true hero!" he continued his speech while I boiled with anger, why do all those bastards act like they are beter?

Stupid Rich bastards!

"So what would you like? Wild, Lolita, twincest, the cool type or the prince-like type as me?" The blond pervert asked flirtatious.

"N-no, You don't understand I'm just looking for somewhere quiet!" I yelled while I took some steps backwards. "Please excu-" The sound of something breaking disturbed my sentence.

An expensive looking vase was lying on the ground, I mean it must have been expensive before it shattered into thousand pieces. Because of me.

_Sh*t…_

A blurry memory popped up in my head.

"_Haru-chan you're such a klutz,_ _to break your mother's watch.," A voice said._

"_It must have been really expensive." Added another voice, similar to the first one._

"That vase was supposed to be sold for the school auction, it was worth of 8 million yen." The twins said, disturbing my flashback, not that I minded. I decided a long time ago to forget my past in the palace.

"I-I'll pay it back…" I said, not really convincing.

"Can you? You can't even buy an own uniform." The boys said as final attack.

"What should we do, Tamaki?" the glasses guy asked the blond pervert.

In a flinch the flirtatious attitude was gone and I could feel the temperature drop.

He pointed his finger at me, "From now on, you're this clubs dog!"

_What?!_

The moment I recovered from the shock, I saw that the room was filled with chatting and laughing girls.

The blond guy – apparently Suoh Tamaki – behaved like a prince towards the girls and said the most ridiculous things. _That girls fall for that?!_

The performance the twins – Hitachiin Hikaru and Kaoru – gave was even worse, forbidden love between brothers. The two girls they were serving squealed enthusiastic.

_What is this? A yaoi anime?_

The glasses guy – Otori Kyouya – joined me. "We try to use each of our characters to answers our customers' needs, by the way Tamaki is our best." Kyuouya-senpai said.

No way, that pervert is?

"That pervert" suddenly appeared next to me. "And what do you think about our club." He asked.

"I think It's totally unnecessary." I replied, a big mistake! Tamaki-senpai started a speech about why to make women happy. I sighed.

This guy is really… He is… What was it again?

"Ah!" I said when I found the right word. "Annoying!" I said, not noticing my second mistake in time.

The twins laughed with it and complimented me while Tamaki-senpai sat depressed in a corner.

"I'm sorry senpai, I shouldn't have said that." I said apologizing and again a flashback came up.

"_I'm sorry Niichan, I shouldn't have said that. Sorry." I said to my sad Niichan._

"_Don't worry, Haru-chan, It will be over in a second, just leave him be." My other Niichan said._

"Don't mind it! Haru-chan!" the blond little boy – Haninodzuka Mitsokuni – said while being carried by a big black haired guy – Morinoduka Takashi.

"Haru-chan, why don't we eat some cake together?" Huni-senpai asked.

_Is he really my senpai?_

"I'm sorry, I don't like sweets very much." I said.

"I see, then would you want to play with Usa-chan?" he asked and showed me a stuffed bunny.

"_You can play with her if you want to and after playing let's eat some sweets, okay Haru-chan?" The soft voice of one of my Niichans said. "And if you're tired or your feet hurt you can ask Takashi to carry you, kay?"_

I touched my head, what was wrong with me to have so much flashbacks on one day. Flashbacks weren't uncommon but three was a lot. I wondered why I keep remembering such things.

"Haru-chan, you're not feeling well?" Huni-senpai asked.

"Ah, no… I…" I stuttered and before I knew Tamaki-senpai had putted his hand on my forehead, he took my glasses off to place his hand better.

"Hey! Give that –" I fell silent under the shocked gaze of Tamaki-senpai.

He snapped his fingers, "Hikaru! Kaoru!" The twins imprisoned me.

"Wait a second!" I yelled.

"Kyouya! Contact the hair designer!" Tamaki-senpai continued. "Mori-senpai, go ask the doctor for contact lenses!" As soon as he said it the long guy ran out the room.

The twins pushed me into a changing room and pushed an uniform in my hands.

"I said wait a second!" I repeated.

"Just change already!" The twins said together.

"Haruhi, are you done yet?" Tamaki-senpai asked.

"Is it really ok for me to keep this?" I asked as I came out the changing room, wearing the school uniform.

"How adorable!" Tamaki-senpai said with tears in his eyes.

I didn't give in to the urge to roll with my eyes.

"Haru-chan is cute!" Huni-senpai said with Usa-chan in his hands and Mori-senpai nodded in agreement, Kyouya-senpai wrote something down and the twins studied me. "How can a person change like that?" They asked each other.

"Who's stuff are these?" Tamaki-senpai asked as he pointed at a table with my bag.

He picked up my wallet, that must have fallen out my bag and opened it.

"Haruhi?"

"Yes?"

"Are you a girl?" he asked.

"I am, biologically." I answered. "I don't really mind if you take me for a boy."

Tamaki-senpai's eyes went from my identity card to me and started to blush, "A girl?"

"He finally found out." The twins said, grinning.

"Don't worry Haru-chan, we won't tell anyone." Huni-senpai said.

Tamaki-senpai, who was still blushing, tried to regain his attitude back, "Yeah! We will protect you, Haruhi!" He said.

"_Haru-chan! You don't have to cry anymore." Tama-niichan rubbed my back while I kept crying. _

_I had found a big rat in the palace garden, totally panicking I ran away crying till I bumped into my Niichans. _

"_Haru-chan, you're such a crybaby!" Hika-niichan and Kao-niichan bullied me._

"_Don't bully Haru-chan like that!" Mitsu-niichan said to the twins._

"_Mori-kun has already chased the rat away so you can stop crying now." Kyo-niichan said._

"_Taka-niichan did?" I asked, stopped with sobbing._

"_Yup, whatever happens, Haru-chan, we will protect you!" Tama-niichan said with a smile._

"Haruhi, are you all right?" Tama-niichan asked. "You're crying."

"I am?" I asked and touched my cheek, which was wet.

"Are you feeling sick? Should we go to the infirmary?" Senpai asked worried.

I smiled, "No, I'm fine."

It felt so good to see them back again, my Niichans

'Mother, after 10 years, I'm finally back home again.'

* * *

Yay! second chapter is done ^_^ I hope you liked it, the story will contain more flashbacks like this because I think it's fun to write about little haruhi.

There will be some oc's but I'm really bad in thinking of japanese names so if you know some japanese names, please tell me, thanks.


	3. Chapter 3

I quietly putted on my shoes and took my bag. I opened the door as silent as possible not to wake my dad. He came home late yesterday, or should I say early, so I wanted to let him sleep.

"I'm off." I whispered as I walked down the street.

Suddenly a shining object flew past me, it only missed me on a couple of inches. Surprised I looked in the direction it came from but I didn't see anyone else.

I started to look for the object but couldn't find it.

"Strange…" I muttered without paying further attention to it, else I would be late for school.

Not that I looked forward to it.

The host club made me their new host, to repay my debt.

Hosting those girls was actually sort of fun but the other members could be sometimes… annoying especially Tama-niichan.

Tama-niichan has always been like that but wasn't this too much?

I mean, even Kyo-niichan and Taka-niichan joined the host club.

I understand why Taka-niichan joined, that's because of Mitsu-niichan but which benefit would Kyo-niichan have? The twins were always interested in games like this.

_But why me too?_

It's nice to have my Niichans back but do they have to cause me so much trouble?

"They didn't even recognize me…" I complained out loud.

Should I tell them instead I'm their childhood friend? But would they believe me if I told them?

I don't know why but at school I could feel the whole time a tense atmosphere, even Hika-niichan and Kao-niichan were quitter then other times. Everywhere I went people whispered, it felt like the students didn't dare to raise their voice, in fear someone might be listening.

When I came into the 3th music room I saw that every host had a gloomy face, even Tama-niichan was silent.

"What the hell is wrong with everyone today?" I asked irritated.

"You haven't seen the news today?" the twins asked at the same time.

I hadn't since I didn't want to wake oto-san with the noise.

"No, I haven't. Why? Did something happen?"

Again a silence fell and I looked at Kyo-niichan for an explanaition.

"Kyo-… Kyoya-senpai, what happened?" I asked him.

"Something that affects all the rich and the noble." He said.

Irritated I raised an eyebrow. "And that is…?"

"They said the king is dead." Taka-niichan answered.

_Dad? Dad is dead?_

"_Haruhi, did you have fun today?"_

"_Horse-riding with dad is always fun." Young me answered._

_My father patted my head. "That's good."_

"_Will daddy play with me again, tomorrow?"_

"_Sorry Haru but I have to work."_

_I stared at the ground in disappointment._

_Dad smiled and took me by my hand. "I promise we will do something fun next week."_

"_Pinkie promise?" I asked and held out my small pink._

"_Pinkie promise, all right?" He said as he hooked his finger into mine._

In the end I was the one who broke the promise by running away with mom.

"Then who's going to rule?" I asked, again no one answered and I started to get annoyed.

"Here…" Kyo-niichan gave me a newspaper and pointed at a paragraph.

"The sister of the departed king, Princess Aneko, appointed her son as heir of the crown. The prince is indeed a possible candidate but rumors say that the government hopes for Princess Haruhi's return as she claims her place as crown princess. The princess got abducted by her mother, departed Queen Kotoko whom was founded guilty for adultery and committed suicide. A lot of girls have gathered at the palace after this announcement, saying they are the country's lost princess. But a lot of people doubt that the princess is still alive."

Mad, I frowned my eyebrows. The article was full of lies, my mother absolutely never committed adultery, she truly loved my father, nor did she committed suicide. But this was troublesome, if the world pays too much attention on it, it might bring me and oto-san in danger.

"Princess Aneko?" I muttered.

"She's a greedy bitch who only thinks of power." Hika-niichan commented.

_Young me gripped onto my mother's skirt. A young boy, a couple of years older than me, was standing in front of us, next to him, his mother. _

"_I'm really sorry, Aneko-san." Mom said to my aunt._

_Aunt Aneko smiled. "Don't mind it, Kotoko-sama, I'm sure Haruhi-sama didn't had the intention to hurt Akito." My nephew rubbed his arm, where I bit him._

"_He said some really mean things about mommy." I said in a soft voice._

_I could feel mom's grip on my hand fasten, in a split of a second the smile on my aunt's face disappeared before it appeared again._

"_I'm sure he didn't meant it." Aunt Aneko said as she placed her hands on the boy's shoulders._

_Akito's face turned pale._

Akito? Becoming king?

He would be totally controlled by his mother.

"So you guys are all upset because Princess Aneko gets to rule?" I asked.

"Indeed, she will gain so much power that she surely will make it hard for us, nobles and riches." Kyo-niichan explained. "She will try to gather so much power as she can so she will take every chance that would make us lose power. We can't make any mistakes since that would give her a chance to attack us. Everyone in school is afraid there might happen something to their families."

"But-" I started.

"Don't worry about it too much, haru-chan. You don't have anything that Princess Aneko desires, she will never bother you." Mitsu-niichans said to me and Taka-niichan nodded.

_You have no idea…_

"Shouldn't we open for business," I asked, changing the conversation.

"Like someone would come." Kao-niichan said.

"There will be too many troubles on the minds of the ladies." Tama-niichan added.

"But Tama-… Tamaki-senpai, I-"

"Let it rest, Haruhi." Tama-niichan said.

I felt a little angry, this problem should trouble me more than them. But if they didn't want me into their conversation they could just say so.

"Fine, then I'll go home." I said and maybe my disappointment was heard because they all turned to me.

"My dear daughter, it's not-" Tama-niichan started.

"Please excuse me." I said while I left the clubroom and the dumbfounded hosts.

_Rich bastards, only thinking about their own problems._

I passed the school's gate and went down the street. I walked quickly, still full of anger.

When I wanted to cross a street my way got blocked by a car, the window went down and showed the face of a bald man with sunglasses.

I could hear my instinct scream I had to run.

"Princess Haruhi, could I please have a word with you?" the creepy man asked.

"Excuse me but I think you have the wrong person." I quickly said and started to walked away with a quick pace.

Suddenly I felt a grip on my arm and something cold against my head.

"I don't think I'm wrong." He said and turned me to face him while he placed his gun between my eyes.

* * *

I'm sorry for the late update but my computer crased and I couldn't update, we do have another computer at home but me and my siblings always have to fight over it and they are just as addicted to computers. Since it ended with a cliffhanger I will update (probably) sooner since I hate it myself to wait after a cliffhanger. And I want to thank Grace for a japanese name ^_^


	4. Chapter 4

I started to breath heavy.

"Wha-what do y-you want?" I asked scared.

"There's someone who wants to talk to you." The bald man replied.

"I-I'm sorry but I'm not interested." I said and tried to pull my hand.

"Do you have a death wish?" the man asked and placed the gun on my nose. "My mistress might consider letting you live if you don't stir up trouble but I do have permission to kill you if you would cause problems." He placed the gun under my chin and lifted it up. "Choice is up to you."

I swallowed hard and took a deep breath.

With a fast movement I slapped his gun away from under my chin and with full speed I stomped in his crotch. The moment he fell down in surprise, I started to run.

I heard a shot and felt something fly past me, I didn't dare to look behind me.

I ran into a random street.

"Sh*t…" I didn't know this neighbourhood, I didn't have time to turn back because I heard the man coming after me.

Desperate I started to run even harder, my lungs hurt and my head was throbbing.

I turned into another street. "F*ck!" I cursed when I saw I ran into a blind alley. There was no escaping route and I heard someone laugh behind me.

I turned around to see the man entering the street, for each step he took forward, I walked some backwards till I bumped into the wall.

"All right, little princess. I will regard this as your answer." The scary man said and lifted the gun. "Go say hello to your mother." He said and grinned.

I closed my eyes in fear.

_Mom…_

Suddenly the man let out a cry, surprised my eyes went open again.

A second person, a tall black haired boy around my age, had appeared and had kicked the man's gun out of his hand.

The new guy lifted his leg and stomped into his opponents stomach, the latter took some steps backwards but after recovering he threw some blows to my saver.

The boy dodged them all and after another kick, he bowed down, dodging the attack, and hit my attacker. He fell down on the ground, he was severally injured.

When it seemed like my saver was about to win, I saw something shine in the hand of the bald guy.

With a swift move he cut the forearm of his opponent. To my surprise the boy didn't let out a single cry, when it must have hurt, but he just backed down and grabbed his arm. My attacker used this opportunity to get up again an walked to the injured guy, now the bad guy had a weapon my saver was disadvantaged.

The bald man swung with the knife again and the black haired guy dodged it, they repeated this act some time till my saver was blocked against the wall and had to block the knife with his arm. He almost couldn't block the next attack and got cut again in his arm.

Hopeless I looked for something that could help my saver, I saw the gun lying near my feet, I picked it up and aimed for the bald guy's leg.

With shaking hands and shivering breath I pulled the trigger. As if in slow motion, it felt like an eternity before the bullet hit my attacker's leg.

With a cry the man grabbed his leg and fell down on the ground again. Shocked I let go of the weapon, the boy who saved me stared in surprise at me and at the man who was crawling on the ground. I felt dizzy and felt like throwing up. The man I shot stopped moving.

Shocked I looked at my saver. "Is he…?"

"He is just unconscious." He replied on my unspoken question.

I looked at the injured man and at the gun near my feet, the black haired boy walked towards me and picked the weapon up.

"Why did you save me?" I asked. To my surprise the boy knelt down on one knee and bowed his head with his hand on his heart.

"Greetings to Princess Haruhi, I'm Arata, the son of a bodyguard who served your mother, I'm assigned to protect you with my life." He answered formally.

"W-why should I need to be protected?" I asked, hesitant to hear the answer.

"Your aunt has ordered her people to kill you, to prevent you from claiming the kingdom."

* * *

I'm going to tell you a little story:

School: let's go to Paris with the students!

Students: Yay!

School: but first let the students make lots of work!

Students: ... NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

This is the sad tragedy of my life... But what I actually want to say with this is: with the work school gives me, I will have trouble finding time to write further, so please blame school for not giving me the chance to make the story progress


	5. Chapter 5

"My aunt would never do something like that." I said, not completely sure about my statement.

"She's afraid you will take over the throne and that the government will help you." Arata explained. "Why did you do something so dangerous as enrolling into Ouran High School? You should have known someone would notice it." He added.

"T-that's none of your business." I said, a little bit confused, I just had shot someone and he was asking me about school?

"Of course, please forgive me my impoliteness." He said and bowed his head deeper.

"And why are you kneeling down?" I asked as I kneeled to help him up. "Get up alr –" I took my hand from his arm which was covered with blood.

"That's a lot of blood, we should go to the hospital." I said.

"Princess, there's no need for that, it's just a superficial wound."

"But –" I hesitated. "Then at least let me treat your wound at home."

He looked up, a bit surprised. "Princess, I can't –"

"See it as a token of my gratitude. I insisted and took out my cell phone. "I'll call for an ambulance for him," I pointed at the unconscious man. "And then we'll head to my house."

I pushed the front door of my house open and let Arata in. "Sit down, I'll look for a first aid kit."

I walked further into the apartment, opened the closet and shove some things out of it, I found the kit in the back. I pulled it out and walked back to the living room.

"You should take of your shirt, that would make it easier." I said and opened the kit to get the instruments I needed. Slightly confused and hesitant he started to protest. "Princess, such a thing, that's –" he started.

"What? You can't treat your wound yourself, can you? And it would be difficult for me to treat the wound through the fabric." I said, ignoring his complaints.

"If the Princess insists." He answered but still uncomfortable, he took of the shirt carefully, not to touch the wound. "Whoa, that are many scars." I commented.

"Not really." He answered and stared straightforward, I don't know if I saw it right but I thought I saw him blush. "Give me your arm." I ordered and held out my hand where he placed his arm.

"I'm first going to disinfect it, it might hurt a bit." I said but got no reaction. After carefully treating the wound, I took out the bandage.

"Haruhi? What are you doing?" The voice of Oto-san asked, I turned around to see my dad standing in the opening of the door to his bedroom. His hair was in a loose ponytail and to my surprise his face wasn't sleep drunk as usually but rather panicking.

"Oh hello, Oto-san, did we wake you?" I asked and saw Arata observe my father.

"Don't just say hello!" Oto-san said irritated. "Why is that fellow half-naked?!" I thought I saw an angry vein pop up when Oto-san looked at Arata. "I'm just treating his wound, I don't see the problem." I said as I started to bandage his arm.

"You don't see the problem?" My father asked and walked closer to us. "What if he would have taken advantage of you?!" He asked while looking furiously at Arata. "Oh I can't thing about it! My dear, cute daughter screaming in despair, desperately when there's no one to save my beloved daughter!" He almost burst into tears while I just continued with bandaging but Arata stood up before I could finish the bandage and kneeled in front of Oto-san. "Ryouji-sama I would never do something that would hurt the Princess." He said.

Oto-san narrowed his eyes. "The Princess?"

"I'm Arata, the son of the bodyguard who served under her majesty Queen Kotoko." Arata replied.

"You're the son of Kazuya-san?" My dad asked.

_A big man kneeled down in front of my mother and me. "My Queen, I contacted Ryouji-sama, please leave with the Princess. I will save you some time." He said. _

_My mother was shaking when she also knelt and hugged him. "Thank you so much, Kazuya, I'll never forget what you have done for me."_

"_It's only natural for me to serve my lady." He answered, Mom stood up again and smiled at me._

"_Let's go Haruhi." She said._

_Not really understanding I nodded, looking at the scene it looked like we were just saying goodbye to Kazuya. _

_I came closer to the big man and he patted me on my head._

"_Bye bye, Kazuya, see you tomorrow." I said, hugged him and waved him goodbye while running after my mom._

"Indeed, my father, who was informed with the truth of what happened 10 years ago, and he asked me to protect the Princess with my life." Oto-san stayed silent for a moment while he looked at Arata till he suddenly smiled. "You should have said that sooner!" he said with a gentler voice. "Come, come, get up."

"Thank you very much, Ryouji-sama."

"Just call me Ranka, boy." My dad said to him.

"Thank you, Ranka-sama." Arata replied.

"I'll make you two some tea, Haruhi, treat his arm well." Oto-san walked happily to the kitchen. Arata sat down again and gave me his arm back.

"Could you please not tell Oto-san about what happened today?" I asked him, he looked up and nodded. "If that's what the Princess wishes for I will obey." He answered, I stopped bandaging and looked him in the eyes, he immediately broke the eye contact.

"If you obey every wish of me, then I wish you wouldn't be so formal and just call me by my name." I said and forced him to look at me but again he looked away. "And I also wish you would look me in the eye when we talk." Uneasy he nodded. "I shall obey Prin – Haruhi-sama."

I smiled and Arata shyly looked down.

_Maybe he wasn't really that cold as I thought._

"Arata? Could you do me a favour?" I asked as I closed the first aid kit.

"Of course, Pri – Haruhi-sama."

"I'd like to speak to Aunt Aneko."

* * *

Sorry sorry sorry x n terribly sorry for the late update but I just didn't find time to update and the week after next week I'll be having exams for two weeks so I have to concentrate om my tests but when the holidays start I probably update more frequently, except for the two weeks I'm going to Spain. I wanted this kind of situation in my story because I really like Haruhi's personality because she doesn't mind the gender of someone and almost emotionless when it comes to awkward situations, wish I was like that ^_^


	6. Chapter 6

I opened the door and walked outside.

"Be careful on your way, Haruhi." Oto-san said while standing in the opening of the door.

"Don't worry, Oto-san." I said, assuring him. I waved him goodbye and walked my way to school.

"If you're going to follow to school, just walk next to me." I said.

Arata jumped down from wherever he came from. "How did you know I was following you, Haruhi-sama? Was I too loud?" he asked.

"No, just intuition."

We walked further in silent.

"About yesterday – " I started.

"Haruhi-sama, meeting Princess Aneko would place you in unnecessary danger!" Arata interrupted me.

"That's not what I wanted to say…" I said.

Arata's eyes grew big and he quickly bowed down. "Please excuse my rudeness, Haruhi-sama, I shouldn't have interrupted you." He apologized.

I sighed. _So polite…_

"About yesterday…" I started again. "I haven't thanked you yet, for saving me."

Arata looked up in surprise and saw his cheeks turn a little red, he stood up straight again.

"I was just doing my job, nothing more." He said soft.

I smiled and continued my walk to school.

When I came into the classroom, I felt a little bit afraid to face Hikaru and Kaori since I overreacted yesterday but to my surprise they weren't present today.

Worried I sat down between the two empty desks. The atmosphere was less tense than yesterday but you could see the most students were still troubled.

I wondered if something could have happened to the twins.

"Chiruha-san?" I called the girl in front of me.

She turned around. "Yes?"

"Do you know where Hikaru and Kaoru are?"

"Sorry, Haruhi-kun, I don't know, maybe they're skipping classes?" she said.

The rest of the hours I didn't see Kaoru or Hikaru nor one of the other host club members.

"Maybe something really happened…" I thought out loud while searching in one of the big gardens of Ouran High School.

"Whom are you looking for?" Arata asked and I gasped as I saw him in one of the big trees.

"What are you doing up there?" I yelled.

"I have the task to protect you so I also have to follow you in school." He said as if it was normal.

"Then at least do it in a less outstanding way!" I said, afraid someone would see us.

I walked back to the school building but suddenly I felt hands grab me and pushed some cloth against my mouth, a sweet scent spread through my nose.

Desperate I kicked around without hitting something, my view started to get vague.

Scared to death I started to panic.

_I don't want to die!_

"A-Ara…ta…" I whispered before everything went black.

"Maybe we used too much of that drugs?" A voice said.

"Nah! I don't think so, maybe she's just sensitive for it…" Another voice replied.

"That was really mean to do, Kao-chan, Hika-chan. Haru-chan panicked really hard." A soft, familiar voice said.

_Mitsu-niichan? What are the host club members doing here?_

"Ah! She's waking up!" the voice of Tama-niichan brought me out the fluffy darkness.

"Tama-… Tamaki-senpai?" I said and opened my eyes. I found myself in a fancy looking room with a large dining table in the middle.

The boys were all wearing prince-like suits, I myself was wearing a frilly pink dress. "What the…?!" I said while I lifted the dress.

Tama-niichan pulled me up by my hand and smiled. "We wanted to apologize for our attitude the day before so we arranged this small party as apologize, a royal dinner worthy for our princess." He smiled an innocent smile.

_I really want to laugh right now because of the irony, he has no idea how matching these words were, certainly the princess-part._

I raised an eyebrow. "You just wanted to see me in a dress, didn't you?"

Tama-niichan got a guilty face and blushed a bit. I felt a hand slide into mine and when I looked down I saw Mitsu-niichan holding my hand.

"We really felt bad after yesterday, so won't you forgive us?" he asked with big teary eyes.

_How can I not forgive such a cute face?_

Taka-niichan nodded in agreement with Mistu-niichan's words.

I looked over at Kyo-niichan, who stayed at some distance, he putted his glasses good. "The cost of the food won't be added to your debt." He said, his way of apologizing, I think…

Hika-niichan and Kao-niichan were smirking like two little devils.

"Since Tono wants us all to apologize…" Hika-niichan started.

"… We offer to feed you." Kao-niichan ended, with a challenging smile at Taka-niichan.

"You two!" Tama-niichan yelled. "Don't you dare do such a thing to my cute and adorable daughter!"

"I don't really mind." I commented, which made Tama-niichan glance at me in panic.

"Then…" The twins said with devilish looks in their eyes. "Would you mind if we fed you mouth on mouth?"

Tama-niichan made an indignant face and pulled me by my hand till I bumped into him, protective he putted his arms around me.

"H-hey! Tamaki-senpai! Let me go!" I yelled and wrestled to be released.

I made a small scream of surprise when Taka-niichan pulled me out of Tama-niichan's embrace.

Suddenly some noise came from outside, everyone looked at the window and Taka-niichan and Mitsu-niichan took on a fighting position. I remembered that when we were young both of them were already great martial arts specialists.

Guessing what, or rather who, it could have been that made the noise, I made one of the chairs at the table fall down with a lot of noise and everyone looked at me in surprise, even Kyo-niichan looked startled.

"S-sorry…" I muttered, avoiding eye contact.

The twins sighed. "God, you surprised us, Haruhi!"

"Are you all right?" Tama-niichan asked worried.

The twins appeared at my side and looked mischievous at their senpai. "You should first worry about yourself, Tono, we bet you almost wet your pants!" the twins teased him.

"I didn't! As if I would do such a childish thing!" He said angry. Taka-niichan and Mitsu-niichan still made a couple of glances at the window.

Kyo-niichan opened his pen and wrote something down. "If the chair is damaged then the cost will be added to your debt." He said, as stoic as ever.

I just smiled and putted the chair back, secretly checking for damage. We all took place at the table and outside, in the darkness I could see the figure of Arata climbing in the tree again.

I chuckled softly.

"Is there something funny? Haru-chan?" Mitsu-niichan asked.

"No, I'm just happy we get to eat together." I said and smiled.

Tama-niichan, who was in the middle of eating something, turned red and choked. The twins burst out in to laughter while Kyo-niichan gave Tama-niichan something to drink.

Both I and Mitsu-niichan chuckled while Tama-niichan scolded the twins for laughing with him.

_It has been a while since I ate with my nii-chans, but almost nothing had changed__, they were just as troublesome as usual__._

* * *

I'm sorry if there were people looking forward to meet Aneko but I'm going to postpone it else the stroy will be going to fast ^_^

And I forgot to say in my previous notes: if Haruhi starts a name (example: Tama-...) but doesn't end it, is because she almost calls them ...-niichan but she change it at the end with ...-senpai. Just in case you hadn't noticed :) Also I want to thank everyone for the nice reviews ^_^


	7. Chapter 7

"Do you want a ride, Haru-chan?" Mitsu-niichan asked.

"No thanks, Honey-senpai, I think I'll walk." I replied.

Taka-niichan and Mitsu-niichan left with the last car, the others had already left after our little party.

I smiled while thinking back at the funny moments, Hika-niichan and Kao-niichan had been teasing Tama-niichan the whole evening while Mitsu-niichan ate all the sweets while Taka-niichan watched over him.

On the corner of the street, Arata appeared with a gloomy face.

"What's wrong?" I asked as I walked towards him.

I saw him clench his hands into fists. "Haruhi-sama, I'm not worthy to be your bodyguard."

I stopped walking. "Eh?! Wha… You mean what happened at school?"

"Though they were just your friends they were able to kidnap you, they're just a bunch of high school kids on top of that."

"You shouldn't compare them with normal people, they are far from normal." I said. "Especially Tamaki-senpai…" I said, recalling the times he hugged me while calling me his daughter and after been scolded by me he would cry in a corner of the room.

I sighed.

"But still I was so close and…" Arata stopped his sentence. "Tamaki? As in Suoh Tamaki?"

"Yes, Suoh Tamaki. Why?" I asked him.

"Princess, you shouldn't be friends with Suoh-sama, it increases the possibility that Aneko-sama will find you. The Suoh family is one of the families that Princess Aneko wants to destroy!" Arata said in panic. "It's dangerous to be friends with people like him!"

"Arata!" I yelled, a little bit pissed off. "Those people aren't just my friends, they are my niichans! Even if it's dangerous to hang out with them it is my own choice." I said.

" Haruhi-sama…" Arata tried.

I interrupted him. "Arata, I never wanted to be a princess, I never wanted a bodyguard and I don't want to give up my friends because it could be dangerous, all I want is just a normal life."

Arata kept his mouth and he looked a bit hurt by my words.

"But I can't change the fact that I'm a princess nor that I really need a bodyguard and…" I said sighing.

"If it's you, I don't really mind having one. So stop complaining already and let's go to the supermarket, I still have to buy dinner for tomorrow." I said and started walking again but I didn't hear Arata's footsteps following me so I turned around and saw he hadn't moved.

"Aren't you coming along?" I asked.

He turned towards me and to my surprise his face was bright red.

"Are you running a fever?" I asked him.

Shy Arata looked up. "No, I-I was just happy to be praised by Haruhi-sama." He said in a soft voice, his hand rubbing the back of his neck.

"Oh, well, I'm glad our happy." I said. "Now let's go to the supermarket before it closes."

"Sure!" Arata said with a smile.

When I walked into the classroom the next morning, Hika-niichan and Kao-niichan had a depressed look on their faces.

"What's wrong? Why are you guys so gloomy?" I asked.

Kao-niichan sighed but it was Hika-niichan who answered. "It's our mom." He said vaguely.

"She is a fashion designer, right?" I said, remembering the beautiful woman who often came to visit my mother while I played with the boys.

"Indeed, she always used to try her clothes out on us but it are always female clothes!" Kao-niichan complained with a painful look.

The twins sighed in unison.

I had to hold in my laughter when I recalled a memory of the two boys dressed up as girls, with matching wigs, both of them looked so cute.

"And now," Hika-niichan continued. "She wants to use us again! But this time for an international fashion show."

"The whole world will see us dressed as girls!" They said in despair.

"So what?" I asked.

"It's the end of our love life! No girl will want to date us anymore after seeing us like that!"

The twins cried in each other arms.

"Then why don't you look for another model?" I asked. "A female one…" I added.

The twin turned their heads has to me. "That's not a bad idea, isn't it, Hikaru?" Kao-niichan asked his brother.

"It's indeed not bad, Kaoru, but how do we find a girl who wants to do that job?" he asked.

"Just offer her some money." I said.

The brothers glanced at each other, sometimes I suspect them for using telepathy, and they bended towards me.

"Then Haruhi,…"

"…Why don't you do it?" The twin asked.

"Me? Such clothes don't suit me." I said.

Again the twins looked at each other, suddenly I felt really uneasy.

The teacher came in and the twins fell silent but after they sat down they looked at each other again and then back at me.

_Why do I feel like something bad is going to happen to me?_

"I have an announcement for today," sensei said to the class. "There will be a new student joining our class, he was absent due to illness and will repeat this year in Ouran High School." The teacher turned to the door. "Come on in." he said.

A boy, wearing the uniform of the school, with dark hair and blue eyes was standing in front of the class and greeted us with a bow.

"A-Arata?!" I called out in surprise.

* * *

This will be the last chapter for July because I'm going to Spain tomorrow, next update will probably be begin August. It's a short chapter because I didn't found enough time to write a longer one but I will make up for it with the next chapters, they probably will contain more action again and Haruhi is going to meet someone unexpected... who could it be?! (It's an OC by the way so you won't find the person in the anime/manga ^_^)


	8. Chapter 8

At midday break Arata and I were surrounded by curious classmates.

"So you two know each other?"

"Arata-kun, how long do you know Haruhi-kun?"

"What kind of disease did you have?"

"…"

I answered on all the questions the people asked while I glared at Arata. The look in my eyes probably said "What the hell are you doing here?"

Arata just smiled innocently and replied on the questions. The twins kept some distance and were unusually silent. I ended my conversation and I stood up to forced me away between other students to Hika-niichan and Kao-niichan.

"What's wrong?" I asked them.

"Does he know?" the twins asked together.

"Does he know what?" I repeated.

"That you're a girl." Hika-niichan said while he glanced at Arata.

"Ah, yes, he does but don't worry he won't tell anyone. Not that I mind."

"That's not what we're worrying about." Kao-niichan said softly. Not understanding what the problem was I looked at Arata while he talked to his new classmates and laughed. 'Despite being a bodyguard he's also a normal teenager,' I thought and smiled.

_I guess it can't be helped._

"I'll introduce him later to the others." I said.

"Tono is not going to like him, neither do we." The twins said.

"Why not." I asked surprised.

The twins looked at me as if I was the most stupid being on earth. "Haruhi, Haruhi, Haruhi…" they said while shaking their heads, pretending to be sad and they surrounded me to lay an arm on both my shoulders. They closed the distance and their noses almost touched my cheeks.

"Though we should be grateful to you for being so dense," Kao-niichan sighed.

"It is sometimes hard to call your stupidity an advantage." Hika-niichan added.

"I'm not stupid!" I said. The twins laughed and they rubbed my hair. "Of course you aren't."

The bell rang and the students went back to their desks and I saw Arata looking at the three of us while we were playing around and I smiled at him, he smiled back but his smile didn't reach his eyes. Worried I wanted to go speak with him but the teacher came in and ordered us to sit down.

The last class had ended and the students had already left. I told Hika-niichan and Kao-niichand to leave first, they left while glancing at Arata. My bodyguard appeared beside my desk.

"You have club activities now, right?" he asked.

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"I did some research." He said proudly. "I was kind of surprised that the sons of prestigious families were allowed to form a host club." He added.

"You're not angry because I participate in it?" I asked.

"Of course not, Haruhi-sama was forced to take part in the club, that's something else." He replied. "Though if they would now you are their princess, they would have treated you with much more respect."

_I doubt that…_

"By the way it's an excellent idea to pose as a male student and not a female one, I'm sure it made it harder for Princess Aneko's people to find you." He complimented me.

"Well, it wasn't really my intention to do so." I said dryly. "Now tell me." I stood up and placed a hand in my waist. "What are you doing here?"

Arata smiled bright." Yesterday you asked to follow you around the school in a less striking way. So this is my plan." He said proud.

I thought back on yesterday and remembered I indeed had said something like that. I sighed.  
"This isn't really discrete either."

Arata lost his proud look. "I'm sorry if it troubles Haruhi-sama but it is necessary for me to protect you from close by." He said. "We discovered an assassin in the school."

"An assassin!?" I repeated.

"Probably disguised as a student." He explained. "Likely one of your classmates."

"No way…" I said and sank down in my chair again.

That must have been why Arata had talked with everyone. To look for an assassin.

Arata kneeled down beside my desk to be on equal height. "Haruhi-sama, please don't worry."

I looked at Arata who smiled slightly. "No matter what happens, I'll protect you. I will always be by your side so don't be afraid." He said. "Now please take your stuff and let me escort you to your clubroom. Your friends must be waiting."

I looked in silent at my bag that was lying on my desk.

"Haruhi-sama?" Arata asked.

I took a deep breath and nodded. "All right." I said, stood up and grabbed my bag. "Let's go."

It's not like I was scared, I was more worried about Tama-niichan and the others.

If there really is an assassin I could bring my niichans into danger by being near them but if I distance myself from them they are maybe in a greater danger because when I'm around Arata will also be there and the assassin might doubt about making a move when my bodyguard is there.

So for now it would be safer if I stayed close. So I ran out the classroom to check on everyone without hearing Arata's silent whisper.

"No matter what, huh?" He repeated himself and followed me to the clubroom.

"So this is Arata, his father knows mine and we met each other a couple of days ago." I introduced my bodyguard to the members of the host club. The twins had already met him so I think they lost their interest in him but they glared at Arata from time to time.

Tama-niichan inspected Arata from his head to his toes like he would do when he was doubting to buy some merchandise. I saw that Arata also examined Tama-niichan but less obvious and probably to ensure himself that my senpai wasn't a threat to me.

"So… What kind of relationship do you want with my daughter?" Tama-niichan asked in his role as jealous father.

"… Daughter?" Arata repeated dumbfounded.

"Don't mind him." I said.

"So Arata-kun is a friend of Haru-chan?" Mitsu-niichan asked. "Then he is also of a friend of us, right, Takashi?" Taka-niichan nodded.

"Can I call you Ara-chan?" Mitsu-niichan asked Arata and I saw my bodyguard getting uneasy.

I suppressed a small giggle.

Kyo-niichan wrote something down without looking up. "It surprises me that you are able to make other noble friends besides us."

I decided to ignore his words but I noticed that Arata getting angry with this comment and I pulled the sleeve of his jacket to stop him from answering. Arata understood what I tried to say and kept his mouth but he still shot an angry glare at Kyo-niichan.

"It's nice to know that Kyoya-senpai sees me as a friend." I replied and I saw I had surprised Kyo-niichan with saying that.

A couple of seconds long he stayed frozen until he cleared his throat and hid his face behind his papers while writing down something. "That's because Tamaki has a bad influence…" he said but still hid his face.

"ka-sama! How can you say such a cruel thing!" Tama-niichan said shocked.

"Oka-sama?" Arata asked confused. "They are both men, right?"

I couldn't hold my laugh anymore and giggled. "Don't interfere with them, if you do, it will be bad for your health."

"Do I have permission to leave you for a moment?" Arata asked with a worried look at Tama-niichan and Kyo-niichan while they were still arguing. "I have to go see the secretary for my enrolment."

"Sure." I said though feeling a little bit irritated by his formal way of speeking but I didn't say anything about it.

Father and mother stopped fighting and everyone looked in silent how Arata left the clubroom. Immediately the twins surrounded me. "Haruhi, we have a favour to ask."

Alarmed I looked at the two sons of Satan. "A favour?"

"Yeah, we told you our situation this morning, didn't we?"

"About the fashion show?" I asked.

"Yes, you told us to look for another model so…" they got interrupted by Mitsu-niichan. "Haru-chan can be the new model!" he said enthusiastic.

"Honey-senpai! That's a wonderful idea!" Tama-niichan said.

"It was OUR idea!" the twins said in unison.

The four host members looked at me hopeful.

"No way." I said.

"Come one, Haruhi, we will treat you to everything you like…" The twins tried.

"No."

"Haru-chan, Usa-chan really wants to see you in pretty clothes." Mitsu-niichan said while showing me the pink bunny.

"No."

"Haruhi." Tama-niichan said while he stepped closer to me, he cupped my chin with his fingers and brought his face so close that I could feel his breath, he tried to use his hosting skills. "I'll give you the most wonderful kiss you'll ever have, ohime-sama."

"Definitely no." I said and turned my face away from Tama-niichan.

The next moment the president of the host club sat sobbing in a corner. But after a while he tried his puppy eyes on me, when we were little it always worked on me, if he showed me those eyes I just couldn't resist.

"No!" I said, now, after ten years, something like that wouldn't work anymore to persuade me.

After finally noticing it didn't work, he looked like a hurt, lost puppy at Kyo-niichan.

It had never worked on Kyo-niichan so today it wouldn't work either. "If she doesn't want to, you can't force her, Tamaki." Kyo-niichan said.

"Actually I can," Tama-niichan said and I glared at him with the coldest expression on my face that I could make. Tama-niichan gulped. "Not that I would do it…" he added while laughing like an idiot.

"I guess we have to find another model, Kaoru." Hika-niichan said.

"What a pity." Kaoru answered and the depressed boys started to walk away.

The look on their faces almost made me change my mind. Almost.

Mitsu-niichan tried to comfort the two. "Then why don't you just invite her to the fashion show?!" He said. "You will come, right, Haru-chan?"

"A-ah…" I wanted to refuse but sighed instead. "Of course."

The twins immediately got cheerful again. "Then we also take you to the after party, 'kay?"

Again I sighed. "Sure, I guess." I said and knew I would regret these words.

The large room was filled with people and noise. Chatter and laughter echoed through the room.

Expensively dressed people were holding champagne and waiters and maids were going around with food.

When I was little I and my parent often attended this kind of parties. Most of the time they were boring until my Niichans arrived and we played together till late in the night. When we went home I always fell asleep on my mother's or father's lap in the limousine that brought us home.

Now, 10 years later, I attended the after party of a fashion show.

According to Hika-niichan and Kao-niichan the show had been a success but to me it was just a boring event. I was glad when it ended quickly but the after party was even worse.

Though my friends were also here, I couldn't enjoy this party, it remembered me to much of how it was before my mother and I ran away.

Moreover, I never had liked this kind of events.

I don't hate parties, I actually like birthday parties and such very much but these rich bastards exaggerated way too much.

There wasn't even good music.

One of the waiters putted a glass of champagne in my hand and before I could protest he had already disappeared.

_Do I look old enough to drink?_

But then I noticed even Tama-niichan and the others had a glass in their hands so I decided not to say anything.

Suddenly the music stopped abrupt and everyone turned to the stairs at the end of the room that led to the first floor.

Just like in those movies someone descended the staircase, a handsome young man with brown curly hair and green eyes greeted his guests.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" a voice that came out of nowhere announced. "His highness, Prince Akito!"

My eyes grew big and I gasped.

_Akito… _

* * *

Yay! Akito appears! What will she do now?! I know but you don't ehehe ^_^ Sorry for teasing you, I'm in a good mood today, no idea why though...

Here's the longest chapter I've ever written as a souvenir from Spain, by the way Spain was fun and I recommend it as travel destination especially Barcelona is worth visiting.

I'm having a little bit trouble with deciding what kind of personality Akito has, I have some in mind and actually his personality is quite important on how the story progresses... Well doesn't matter ^_^ Actually it does but... *Sigh* please don't mind me...


	9. Chapter 9

"I hope everyone enjoyed the fashion show by Yuzuha Hitachiin and I'm honoured to be your host tonight." Akito started his speech and I listened to him and my jaw dropped.

The annoying nephew I once knew had been totally replaced by a well-educated prince and with shock I realised what kind of situation I would be into if Akito would recognize me, things would get really bad if that were to happen…

Intuitionally I quickly grabbed Taka-niichan's arm and hid behind his wide back. If he was surprised about my actions, he didn't show it and didn't ask question but instead straightened his back to make himself even longer so that no one would see me.

Grateful I placed my head against his back as a silent thank you and to my surprise Taka-niichan stiffened. It seemed like the other host club members hadn't noticed anything. Akito kept talking, what felt like an eternity.

I was afraid he would never shut up but then he thanked his guests and an applaud followed.

"Akito-sama is getting really good at his speeches, right, Takashi?" Mitsu-niichan asked.

"Indeed." And he turned around to face me but I had already left the room. Worried Taka-niichan frowned.

I had left the room as soon as the speech had ended and Akito got distracted by people whom congratulated him. I tried to close the door silently.

"Haruhi-sama?" Arata's voice asked from behind me.

With a squeal of surprise I jumped up and turned around. "Arata!" I hissed, signing him to whisper.

"What are you doing here?" I whispered.

"What do you think I'm doing here?" he whispered back, I looked at him and noticed he was also wearing a costume just like the other guests present at the party.

"You're here for the party?" I asked.

Arata sighed and went with his hand through his black hair. "Yes…Yes, I'm here to party." He said slightly sarcastic and grabbed my hand. "Now, let's get out of here before someone notice us." He sighed again. "I didn't expect for that stupid prince to show up.

"You didn't?"

"My sources weren't accurate enough."

"Your sources?" I repeated, I never had thought about how Arata actually got his information. If he doesn't find his information himself that means he isn't working alone, right? So that meant more people knew my real identity?

We ran down a staircase. _God, this manor is big._

The party was being held in one of the manors of the royal family, apparently my family has a lot of such manors. I don't understand why it always has to be so big.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"We're going to the garden, there is a car parked nearby, I placed it there just in case. I'm going to bring you back home." Arata answered.

"Wait!" I said and pulled my hand away while I stopped running. "I can't just leave the party. My friends will get worried, I'm first going to say goodbye."

For one moment, it ended to fast so I'm not sure if it was my imagination or not but I thought saw signs of annoyance on Arata's face. "Haruhi-sama, you're safety is top priority, right now, you can apologize tomorrow but if Akito's people find us now there won't be a tomorrow for us." He said. "If Akito wouldn't have shown up, it wouldn't be necessary to leave but that's not the case now." He explained. "With Akito here, you're in great danger."

I hesitated about going back and Arata took a step closer, he reached his hand out to my face but stopped before he touched me.

"Haruhi-sama, I…" He hesitated and clenched his hand into a fist. "I – "

Suddenly the sound of a trigger being pulled echoed through the hallway and Arata's reaction followed immediately, he placed the hand that already had been near my face behind my head while he wrapped his other arm around my waist and turned us around in a swift movement so that he was facing the bullet now.

The bullet grazed his shoulder, the place where my head had been just a moment ago.

"Arata!" I yelled as I saw that the fabric became red with blood.

"Don't mind it. We have to get away from here." He said, he stayed surprisingly calm under the circumstances, this time I didn't refuse to follow him.

We just passed a corner when a bullet hit the wall, I looked over my shoulder and saw one of the security guards point his gun at us.

"They aren't afraid that the guests will notice this?" I asked Arata, between two gasps for air.

Arata laughed. "Like they would care, even if someone would see us, they wouldn't help us out of fear for the royal family." He replied while we ran through a corridor.

The sound of more running footsteps came from behind us, Arata stopped and I thought he had started to panic but instead he opened one of the doors in the corridor and pushed me inside.

"I'll lead them away, don't come out until I'm back." Arata sadi and he left me alone in the dark room. I heard him run away, followed by others.

"They are going into the direction of the garden! Sent reinforcements!" a voice reported.

A second group of footsteps followed and another one after that, after ten minutes had passed, everything went silent.

_How!? How did they know I would attend the party tonight? How!? _

I knew I shouldn't have come!

I wanted to hit the door with my fists in frustration but kept silent, afraid they would find me.

"Don't come out until I'm back, he says," I repeated him out loud. "What the…"

'_Haruhi, don't come out until Ryouji is home, all right? Be a good girl.' My mother patted my head before she closed the door of the wardrobe._

I closed my eyes. "Mom…" I said. "What would you do?"

I opened my eyes again and looked at the door. Thinking about what my mother would do gave me new strength and I felt myself getting angry at Arata, always bossing me around!

"Does he really think I'm just going to sit here and wait till he dies?!" I asked the door in anger. "Like hell I'm going to sit here and cry!"

I opened the door and checked the corridor, it was completely empty.

That person had said that Arata was going to the garden, it shouldn't be too difficult to find it. Though I still felt sorry for Tama-niichan and the others, Arata was more important right now.

Afraid that I would get unwanted attention I decided not to run around recklessly but to walk and to check every hallway for people. I went into the direction of what I thought that was the right one until I heard faint gun shots coming from another direction.

I forgot everything about being careful and ran into the direction the shooting came from.

_Please, let Arata be all right!_

But then I heard running footsteps behind me, slightly panicking I started to run harder.

_They cannot find me!_

While I ran through the hallway, a hand suddenly grabbed my wrist and pulled me into another hallway. I was too surprised to scream when the stranger pulled me close and covered my mouth with one hand, the other hand stopped me from moving.

"Be quite." A voice whispered in my ear. The voice sounded rather familiar but it wasn't Arata's.

Through the hallway, where I just had been running through a moment ago, ran some security guards to the direction I had been heading to. The sound of guns being fired had stopped.

When the men passed, my saver relaxed and released me. I turned around and gasped.

"Good evening, Haurhi." Akito greeted me smiling. "It's been awhile."

"A-A-Akito?!" I managed to say, things just went from bad to worse.

He smiled a boyish grin. "My excuses for surprising you."

My lips moved but there didn't came any sound from my mouth.

Akito laughed softly but stopped abrupt when we heard more footsteps coming. Akito grabbed my wrist again.

"Let's go!" he said and started to run while dragging me with him.

_What the hell is going on?!_

* * *

^_^ the story is progressing really good and I got a lot of new ideas for the next chapters, I might ask you guys to vote for the second host who finds out her secret (I already decided whom finds out first) but that's for later, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I want to thank everyone for the nice reviews ^_^


	10. Chapter 10

Akito and I ran to the opposite of where Arata went to, we ran to the place the party was being held.

I pulled my hand away, I couldn't trust Akito though he had saved me back then, it could have been an act to win my trust.

"What are you doing?" I asked him.

Akito looked honestly surprised and for a moment I hesitated about not trusting him. "We're going back to the party, of course." He answered, his answer confused me.

_Why would he bring me back to the party?_

"Back to the party?" I repeated.

_Is he going to execute me in front of his guests?_

"Yes, if there are witnesses, my mother's men won't chase you"

"Your _mother's _men?!" I repeated him again. "Those people were not under your command?!"

Akito's eyes grew big and filled with realization before they turned sad. "Haruhi, you thought that I was the one who sent those men?"

Confused I nodded. "You… aren't going to kill me then?"

He showed a sad smile. "I'm sorry, Haruhi, of course you'd suspect me too of wanting to kill you…" He let out a sigh. "My mother is the only one that wants you dead, she doesn't even tell me her plans. I know she wants me to be king but actually I rather wish to see you on the throne." He sounded absolutely honest. _He had changed so much after the last time we had met…_

He looked so sad, it must have been hard to live with a mother like my aunt. And now I wanted to talk with her even more. Arata wouldn't let me meet my aunt but maybe Akito would understand that I wanted to speak with Aunt.

"Akito, I want to meet your mother, can you help me?"

Akito gasped in horror and grabbed her shoulders. "No! Haruhi! You can't! It's like moving into the lion's den! She'll kill you too just like – " he said in panic.

"Just like who?" I repeated. "What do you mean?"

Akito realised he had said too much and sighed, his brown hair fell over his eyes. "Mother… She, she…" Akito took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Uncle… Your father got... he got poisoned by mother." When I didn't react he started to talk further.

"By the time I noticed that something was wrong, it was already too late… the poison had already started to take effect… I'm so sorry, Haruhi." The last part came out very softly.

Uneasy I tried to give myself an attitude, I didn't know if I should cry or not. If I would cry I'd feel like I betrayed Oto-san but if I wouldn't cry, it would feel like betraying my biological father. "You… are sure it was your mother?" I asked him to clear my head from those depressing thoughts.

"Yes, it couldn't have been someone else."

"I see…"

Both of us stayed silent for a while before I spoke again. "I'm sorry Akito but I can't return to the party with you."

Akito looked up from staring at the ground, on his face a worried expression. "Haruhi, I –"

"It's not that I'm blaming you for what happened, I just left someone behind that I need to find."

"Did you come to the party with someone? " Akito frowned as he tried to remember if he had seen someone.

"My bodyguard." I explained. "I need to find my bodyguard."

"Aren't the roles supposed to be reversed?" Akito asked, teasing to lighten the conversation.

"And about visiting Aunt… Can you make an appointment?" I asked, his comment ignoring.

Akito wanted to answer but I interrupted him. "I just want to confirm why she would go as far as killing her own brother."

Akito smiled slightly and nodded. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you."

"And I'll help you with searching for your bodyguard. It's safer when I'm with you." He added. Before I could protest he had already started to walk. "He went to the garden." I said, Akito guiding me wasn't a bad idea since he was familiar with the mansion.

.

With Akito as guide we found the garden much faster than I would have if I had searched alone. I probably would have got lost a couple of times too.

From behind the windows I could see a magnificent garden full of colourful flowers and big trees but my attention didn't go to the beautiful flowers but to the men inside the garden. A big group of guards had surrounded Arata.

My bodyguard was severally injured and his clothes for the party were red with blood, I was sure it wasn't only his blood. One of his cheeks started to get purple, someone must have punched him in the face.

"Is that your bodyguard?" Akito asked surprised while he studied Arata.

"Yes, that's him."

Akito nodded approvingly. "He's quite good, that he is still able to stand on his feet after fighting my mother's guards."

One of the men surrounding him made his move and Arata was too slow with his reaction so he got punched in his stomach. I gasped. Another man grabbed Arata from behind and forced him on his knees while the other one hit him with his fist in Arata's face.

"Arata!" I yelled and wanted to enter the garden but got stopped by Akito. "Let me handle it, Haruhi." He said and stepped into the garden while I hid behind one of the walls.

"What's going on here?!" Akito's voice sounded angry.

"Akito-sama, we caught an intruder." One of the guards answered.

"An intruder? How can someone, personally invited by me, be an intruder?" Akito lied.

"Akito-sama… invited this man?" the man asked confused.

"Yes, he's a friend of mine." He sighed deep. "I'm really ashamed that one of my guests got treated in such a horrible manner. Who gave you the command to suspect my guests?!"

"My humble excuses, your majesty but I cannot answer that question." The man sounded like he started to panic.

"So it was my mother…" Akito concluded.

"N-no! Your majesty, Aneko-sama would never ask such a thing!"

When the man said that I realized Akito hadn't lied about the fact that his mother never told him anything about her scheming. "If it wasn't my mother, then let go of my friend!" he commanded.

I could hear the men shuffle uneasy in the grass. Since they lied about his mother not being the one who commanded this, they couldn't disobey the prince but they feared his mother's rage if they let Arata escape.

"Well?" Akito asked impatiently.

There was the sound of footsteps hesitatingly retreating and when I peeked from behind the wall I saw the guards distance themselves from Arata. The man who had grabbed him had also retreated and now Arata sat on his knees, looking at Akito with an expression I couldn't name.

"In the meanwhile our mansion is unguarded against real problems because of your faults." Akito said. "Be grateful that I didn't fire you! Go back to your posts!" he commanded and they couldn't do anything but obey.

When the last man had left the garden, Akito spoke to Arata. "You have quite the stamina, bodyguard-san." Akito complimented him.

"You!" I was surprised to hear so much hatred in Arata's voice.

I wanted to enter the garden when I heard Akito chuckled softly. "You're a brave man, son of Miyamoto Kazuya." He said and I froze in the opening of the entrance to the garden. _How do__es he knows Arata's father?_

" I never had expected that you too would serve the royal family, let be serving the daughter of the woman responsible for your father's dead."

* * *

I just love cliffhangers ^_^ eheh, next chapter will contain a Takashi x Haruhi moment so look forward to it 'kay :) I'm planning on giving each host some time with haruhi, the second host probably will be kyoya. I hope you enjoyed this chapter ^_^


	11. Chapter 11

'" _I never had expected that you too would serve the royal family, let be serving the daughter of the woman responsible for your father's dead."'_

I gasped which drew Arata's and Akito's attention to me. Akito looked surprised at me. "Haruhi, you didn't know?" I didn't pay any attention to his question instead my eyes were focused on Arata, whom was sitting on his knees, his injured face filled with shock.

"Haruhi-sama…"

"Arata… What… is going on?" I asked, my voice was unsteady.

_My mother could never be a murderer…_ _even so…_

If something really had happened between my mother and his father Arata should have told me, now I think about it…

_What do I even know about him?_

Arata faced the ground, hiding his face behind his black hair that had fell over his face. "Haruhi-sama… It's… true that my father died… while protecting Haruhi-sama's mother but…but…" He looked up and looked me straight in the eyes.

"I absolutely don't blame Kotoko-sama for what happened!" He said in one breath. "Neither would my father blame her for what happened."

In silent I stared into Arata's blue eyes, trying to figure out if he was lying or not. Not once did he look away when he told me the story. "My father felt always proud about serving the royal family and he if he would die for Queen Kotoko, he would regarded it as an honor. That's what he always told me…" Arata took a deep breath.

"My father… He got shot the night that Kotoko-sama and Haruhi-sama escaped from the palace while he tried to slow down the guards." He fell silent and broke the eye contact. "I'm sorry… that I didn't tell you, I just thought… that it wasn't necessary since I never thought about blaming your mother for what happened to my father…"

"I see…" I said in a soft voice, I couldn't bring myself to say more. I closed my eyes and memories of that night appeared. I never had thought about the possibility that people could have died that night… for me and my mother's sake. I opened my eyes again.

"Arata…."

My bodyguard didn't look up when I called his name. "Let's go home." I said.

This time he did look up, in surprise. "Haruhi-sama…"

I turned to Akito. "Thank you very much for everything you have done for me tonight but it's time for me to go home." I said.

"I understand." He answered. I don't know if I heard it right or not but I thought I heard some disappointment in Akito's voice.

Arata stood up, relief written on his face. "I parked a car just outside the garden."

"Then I guess I don't have to escort you." Akito said to me. "Take care, Haruhi."

I said Akito goodbye and followed Arata to the car. After walking for five minutes in silent, Arata turned his head to look at me.

"Haruhi-sama…"

"Yes?"

"Thank you… for trusting me…"

He faced forward again and kept walking in silent. I suppressed a sigh and started to feel guilty.

_It's not that I trust you…_

I want to trust him, believe in him… but I don't know any more if I'm able to do that.

...

The next morning at school, I really didn't want to face my niichans. Yesterday I had sent them a message that I didn't feel well and that I had gone home. My cellphone had rung for a while but I hadn't answered any call from them.

I knew they were worried but I just didn't want to talk them at that moment. I was too tired. But now I was at school I couldn't avoid them any longer. The moment I stepped into the classroom I was surrounded by Hika-niichan and Kao-niichan.

"Haruhi!" they said relieved.

"Good morning." I said while I walked to my desk.

"Are you feeling better?" Hika-niichan asked.

"Ah, yes, sorry for suddenly disappearing but I felt a bit dizzy." I lied without looking them in the eyes.

"Maybe you drank too much." Kao-niichan teased.

"Yeah, probably." I was not in the mood to laugh with their jokes.

The twin glanced worried at each other and then turned to me. "Haruhi…" Kao-niichan started. "If there is something you're worried about…"

"… You know you can always talk to us, right?" Hika-niichan continued.

I smiled and nodded. "I know, thanks for worrying but there's nothing wrong. I'm only a bit tired from yesterday." I lied.

_There's no way I could ever tell them the truth._

_..._

I closed the door after the last customer had left and went to clean up all the teacups. Tama-niichan had opposed to the idea of me working today because I didn't feel good yesterday but in the end Kyo-niihchan convinced him to let me work.

The club's activities went on as usual but I noticed that Taka-niichan glanced at me from time to time. _It must be about what happened at the party…_

I really didn't want him to confront me with it and when the club closed I almost thought my wish came true but when I started to pack my stuff, Taka-niichan appeared next to me.

"Haruhi, I want to talk with you."

I knew I couldn't escape from it so I just agreed to talk with him, though it made me feel bad I had to lie again to one of my friends.

Kyo-niichan and Tama-niichan were discussing the new theme for the next club activities and Mitsu-niichan was eating the sweets that were left over from today. Hika-niichan and Kao-niichan had already left, something about helping their mother. Taka-niichan and I went outside the clubroom to have some privacy.

"Is it about what happened at the party?" I asked him before he had started to speak.

"Yes."

"That… I'm sorry Mori-senpai, I wasn't feeling well and I…"

"Haruhi." Taka-niichan interrupted me. "Why were you afraid of the prince?" he asked, ignoring my explanation.

_Now I think of it, it's the first sentence I hear in which he has used so many words…_

"Why… do you think I was afraid of Akito?" I answered his question with a question.

"You hid yourself behind my back because you were scared." He answered.

For a moment I was speechless. "…I…I …"

"Haruhi…" Taka-niichan interrupted me again. "I want to tell you a story."

"Eh?"

"Ten years ago, I knew a girl with the same name as you but one day that girl disappeared and for a long time I thought she was dead but…"

"M-mori-senpai…" I didn't want to hear this. It's way too painful if he talks about us from the past when I'm actually right in front of him.

"Please listen, Haruhi." He said in a tone that surprised me so I kept my mouth.

"One day," Taka-niichan continued. " When we were little and the girl hadn't disappeared yet, the girl was hiding for her aunt. I happened to be around and just like you the girl hid behind my back…" I didn't need to hear the rest of the story, with shock I remembered that day, back then I had let my head rest against his back as a thank you, just as I did at the party.

_Could it be… that he recognized me…?_

* * *

Sorry for the late update but I got a bit depressed since school is going to start soon and I really don't want to, though school can be fun, studying will never be fun.

Updates will come less regular since I will have homework to do but I promise to update as soon as I can ^_^


	12. Chapter 12

"M-mori-senpai… w-what are you implying?" I stuttered. It made me so happy to think that Taka-niichan had recognized me but on the other side I was also afraid. What if I placed him in danger when I tell him the truth? I don't want that.

"Haruhi, it's you, isn't it?" he asked.

I laughed uneasy. "W-what are you saying, Mori-senpai?" I avoided eye contact.

"Haruhi," Taka-niichan repeated and placed his hands on my shoulders and forced me to look up at him. I knew that if I didn't distance myself from him right now, I wouldn't be able to keep my secret.

That's what my mind told me but my heart longed to tell Taka-niichan the truth.

"Please… Please don't ask anymore." I said, almost desperate.

If he finds out the truth, it will be more painful for both of us if we are forced to part again. I didn't want to hurt any of my Niichans by leaving again or by bringing them in danger.

"Please…" I felt tears coming up.

Taka-niichan looked dumbfounded. "Haruhi…" He sounded surprised. "I…"

"Please don't look at me like that, Taka-nii" I whispered.

Taka-niichan strengthened his grip on my shoulders that it hurt.

"What? Haruhi, what did you say?" he asked.

"N-nothing." I turned my head the other way. "You're hurting me, Mori-senpai."

"Haruhi!" he called my name and his voice sounded so desperate.

Surprised by the emotion in his voice I turned my head to him. The expression on his face shocked me and I noticed that his hands were shivering.

"I…" he started. "… when I just met you… I thought that you resembled her so much, in so many ways." He inhaled slowly and broke the eye contact. "It almost made me go insane… but then at the party… you… you…" for a moment he didn't continue, as if he was looking for words. "The hope I'm feeling right now, please don't crush it by lying because it really is you, isn't it, Haruhi?"

My mouth opened and closed without any sound coming out of it.

"Haruhi…"

"Please stop it, Taka-niichan!" I gasped and putted my hands for my mouth as if I could put the words back in my mouth. "I-I…." I stuttered.

Taka-niichan pulled me by my shoulders and suddenly I found myself in his embrace, my words got muffled against the blazer of his school uniform.

"I knew it was you." He said softly. "I knew it."

I slowly started to relax. "Taka-niichan." I knew I shouldn't be happy that he found out but I just couldn't help it.

"Why didn't you say anything?" he asked.

"… I didn't want to bring you in danger." I answered. "I was afraid that you might get hurt because of your relationship with me."

"We can take care of ourselves, Haruhi, you don't have to worry about us. Taka-niichan pushed me a little bit away so he could see my face. "We all missed you."

"Taka-nii, you can't tell the others!"

"Why not?"

"I think it's better that way." I said. "If they know who I am, it might be more painful for them if we have to part again."

"Then we have to make sure we don't have to part again." Taka-niichan replied. "I understand, I won't say anything until you're ready for it."

I smiled, a single tear rolled down my cheek and I hugged Taka-niichan again.

"Welcome back, Haruhi."

"I'm home, Taka-nii."

Suddenly the noise of a door been closed surprised us but it didn't seem like anyone had seen us.

"Maybe we should go back." I said.

Taka-niichan nodded. We both smiled to each other before we went inside the club room.

...

I cut the vegetables and shoved them into the pan while humming a song.

"You look happy, did your friends do something funny again?" Arata asked. We were in the kitchen of my house. Arata didn't went to school today because of the injuries he got from fighting at the party.

"Yeah, today, Taka-niichan…" I fell silent. Was it a good idea to tell Arata that Taka-niichan found out about my identity? Ever since what happened at the party, I couldn't help but distrust Arata.

"Mori-senpai did what?" Arata asked.

"Ah, H-he made a really long sentence today, with more than five words." I said and it wasn't really a lie.

"And you're so happy because of that?"

"Can't I?"

Arata smiled. "I didn't say you can't." he stayed silent for a while. "I'm glad you're happy." He added after a while.

I felt slightly guilty. _I'm really sorry, Arata._

_..._

The next morning I went to the club room with more enthusiasm than usual. Whenever Taka-niichan and I crossed we smiled to each other.

"You and Takashi look happy today." Mitsu-niichan said. "Did something good happen?"

"Not really." I replied and looked over at Taka-niichan, our eyes met and we smiled.

"My daughter! Don't smile to Mori-senpai, you should only smile to your daddy!" Tama-niichan complained dramatic.

"Haruhi can smile to whomever she wants." Hika-niichan scolded Tama-niichan.

"Yeah, don't monopolize Haruhi's smile, Tono." Kao-niichan added and it looked like a quarrel was going to start. "You guys, stop it already." I said and wanted to step between them but slipped on a banana skin – _Why the hell is there a banana skin on the floor?_ – and fell backwards.

I didn't fell onto the cold floor like I expected but bumped against something else. I looked up and saw Taka-niichan looking down at me.

"Are you all right?" he asked and placed his hands protective on my shoulders.

"Yes, I'm fine, thanks Taka-… um Takashi-senpai." I answered.

"Haruhi, since when are you so close to Mori-senpai?" Tama-niichan asked.

"A-ah… um, it just happened like that." I lied.

"I didn't know that Haru-chan and Takashi were such good friends." Mitsu-niichan said and stuffed a piece of cake in his mouth.

I looked up at Taka-niichan and we smiled at each other.

"Haruhi!" Kyo-niichan called me suddenly.

"Yes?"

"Come here." He said and glanced at Taka-niichan.

"What's wrong?"

Kyo-niichan looked like the question surprised him and he glanced from me to Taka-niichan again. "Nothing." He answered and touched his forehead. Could he have a headache?

"There's a guest whom requested you."

"Who?" I asked.

"A classmate of yours, Tachibana Shiori."

"Ah, yes, I know her."

It was a smart, quite girl that I hadn't talked to very often. Kyo-niichan led me to the table where the girl was sitting.

"Good afternoon, Tachibana-san." I greeted her smiling.

"Good afternoon, Haruhi-kun." She said and smiled back. I shivered.

The feeling I got from Tachibana-san made me uneasy and I wanted to take a step back.

_Something's not right here…_

* * *

The chapter was difficult to write since I couldn't decide how Takashi would find out so I updated later than planned. I will also get more busier from next week (I'm going to follow Japanese classes yay ^_^) I feel bad for not being able to update more often but I should be able to at least do it once a month and if the writing goes well maybe twice, I hope you enjoyed this chapter ^_^


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